Follow the author of this article

Follow the topics within this article

An Australian nurse who had been working in London, Kirsty Boden, 28, has been found dead.

Her family said in a statement: “Kirsty was loved and adored by her family, friends and boyfriend. She was the most outgoing, kind and generous person who loved to help people. Helping people was what she loved to do in her job as a nurse and in her daily life.

“As she ran towards danger, in an effort to help people on the bridge, Kirsty sadly lost her life. We are so proud of Kirsty’s brave actions which demonstrate how selfless, caring and heroic she was, not only on that night, but throughout all of her life. Kirsty – we love you and we will miss you dearly.

“We will not be making any further comments on this tragedy and ask everyone, especially the media, to give us the privacy we need to grieve away from the public eye.”

Ms Boden, from the town of Loxton in the state of South Australia, was believed to have assisted a victim during the attack but was not heard from since Saturday night.

She worked at Guy's Hospital as a staff nurse in Theatres Recovery.

Kirsty BodenCredit:
Facebook

Dame Eileen Sills, Chief Nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said: “As the Chief Nurse of Guy’s and St Thomas’ I cannot put into words how sad I am that we have lost one of our own.

“Kirsty was an outstanding nurse and a hugely valued member of the staff team in Theatres Recovery, described by her colleagues as ‘one in a million’ who always went the extra mile for the patients in her care.

“Our thoughts at this time are with her family, her loved ones and our staff who have lost a dear friend and colleague.

“Following the Westminster Bridge terror attack on 22 March, this is the second time in less than three months when our hospitals, patients, visitors and staff have been in the middle of hugely traumatic events.

“Our priority at this difficult time is not only to provide care of the highest quality to our patients but also to look after our staff. We would ask the media to respect the right of staff to focus on putting patients first at this time.”

Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said: “As with the Westminster Bridge incident, our staff responded with courage and tremendous professionalism following the horrific events of Saturday night. We are extremely proud of them.”

9 patients from the attack were treated at the hospital where she formerly worked. Of these, 5 have been discharged and 4 are still in their care.

A keen traveller, she ran a blog in which she called The Time Poor Traveller. In one poignant post, she had written: "I am not a nomad, vagabond or wanderer.

"I have no plans to quit my job and travel the world taking selfies and instagramming my dinner. ‘I’m just your average dreamer, with a full time job and a constant longing to go where I haven’t been. "

I have big travel dreams but I am realistic. I recognise that I might not go everywhere but I should definitely go everywhere I can, and so should you!

"At risk of sounding cliche, life is short and we should all use the time we have wisely."

It is not clear whether she was last seen at London Bridge or Borough Market.

She is known to have been living in the UK for some time after moving from Loxton, South Australia.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said four Australians were believed to be caught up in the attack.

Two of these have been found recovering from serious injuries, while a 21-year-old woman still remains unaccounted for.

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said it was a matter for Commonwealth authorities to confirm the identity of the second Australian of concern but said the state government was “putting in place all the appropriate measures to provide support for the families that are associated with this particular notification”.